Malvern Mastersizer 3000 User Manual

Mastersizer 3000 Page 4-1
4
Making
measurements
Introduction
The Mastersizer is capable of measuring samples dispersed in a wet or dry medium,
either manually as a one-off (or for developing an SOP method) or by utilising pre
-
defined settings stored within an SOP file.
This chapter is the main reference for the measurement making process and
includes sections on:
 Measurement types – a brief background on the overall process of making a
Mastersizer measurement.
 Measurement file basics – how to create and open measurement files.
 Making an SOP measurement – includes how to create SOPs as well as the
steps involved in running an SOP.
 Making a manual measurement – the basic steps involved in manual meas-
urement with a wet dispersion unit.
 Measurement settings reference – detailed reference on all measurement
settings available to both SOP and manual measurements.
Measurement types and process
The Mastersizer is capable of making two types of measurement:
 Manual measurements – all of the measurement settings are specified before
the measurement and some further user input is required during the running
of the measurement. The measurement process is also split into key stages,
which are paused after the completion of each stage.
Manual measurements tend to be used for one-off measurements or as part of
method development (i.e. establishing the optimal settings for measuring the
sample and then saving into an SOP file).

Malvern Mastersizer 3000 Specifications

General

Measurement principle	Laser diffraction
Blue laser wavelength	470 nm
Sample dispersion options	Wet and dry dispersion
Data acquisition rate	10 kHz
Particle size range	0.01 to 3500 microns
Laser type	He-Ne and solid state
Accuracy	Better than 1%
Repeatability	Better than 0.5%
Technology	Mie and Fraunhofer theories
Sample dispersion units	Hydro MV, Hydro LV, Aero S
Optical model	Mie theory
Power requirements	100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
Detector arrangement	Log-spaced array